


Dragon, Dragon

by Idrelle_Miocovani



Series: Idrelle's Holiday Fanfic Gifts 2017 [10]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Cassandra isn't impressed, Dragons, Female Friendship, Fluff, Gen, Humour, Lavellan adopts a baby dragon, Lavellan hugs a dragon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-31
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2019-02-24 13:54:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13215162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Idrelle_Miocovani/pseuds/Idrelle_Miocovani
Summary: When Athelas finds a baby dragon, she wants to adopt it. Cassandra thinks this is a terrible idea.This is a gift for the lovely @hansaera.





	Dragon, Dragon

**Author's Note:**

> This is a gift for the lovely [@hansaera](http://hansaera.tumblr.com/). She is a wonderful person and such a sweetheart. She also is a phenomenal artist, I really recommend checking out her blog, especially if you enjoy Solavellan. Athelas belongs to her. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!

The tiny dragon growled at Athelas. 

Athelas growled back. 

Cassandra hovered above them both, sword raised, confusion on her face. “Inquisitor,” she said, “are you sure that’s a good idea?” 

Athelas glanced up. She was lying on her stomach in a patch of tall grass, most of which had been flattened after she had skidded down a hill, lost her footing and fell, rolling into it. Dazed from her fall, it had taken her a moment to shake herself out of her dizziness and realize that she was face to face with a very small lizard—a small lizard with wings and fangs. She had stared at it, it had stared back, crouching close to the ground, its tail thrashing back and forth, tongue flicking in and out. It looked like a cat about to pounce. 

“Of course it’s a good idea,” Athelas said, not taking her eyes off the dragon. “I’m letting it know that I don’t mean it any harm.” She bared her teeth and growled. 

The dragon bared its fangs and growled back. 

Athelas grinned, delighted. “Do you think it will let me hug it?” 

Cassandra sighed wearily. “Inquisitor, you do realize that lizard is a _dragon_? A _baby dragon?”_  

The dragon sneezed. Flames shot out of its nostrils and mouth as it tripped over its own legs and collapsed into the grass with a startled mew. 

The grass promptly started to smoke. 

Athelas patted out the flames with a gloved hand. She plucked the mewing dragon out of the grass and set it upright. The mewing stopped immediately and the dragon looked at her with its liquid eyes, tail flicking back and forth. 

“There,” Athelas said. “That’s better, isn’t it?” 

The dragon took a step forwards. Cassandra watched, scowling, as it approached Athelas cautiously. It snuffled along the ground, stopped into front of her outstretched hand and carefully bumped it with its nose. The dragon yowled, turned head over tail and flung itself into an undisturbed patch of grass. A moment later, its nose reappeared, two streams of smoke rising softly from its nostrils. From the depths of the grass, its eyes glowed yellow. 

“Perhaps you should leave your new friend alone now,” Cassandra suggested. 

Athelas pushed herself up, sitting cross-legged in the grass. “Oh, put your sword away, Cassandra,” she said, plucking a stray leaf out of her loose hair. “It’s a baby. It can’t be more than a week old. It’s not going to hurt us. And look, it’s friendly.” 

The dragon wiggled back and forth, rustling the grass as it hissed. 

“I don’t believe in friendly dragons,” Cassandra said shortly. 

“You’re from a nation of dragon hunters,” Athelas pointed out. “Your family has dragons for sport for generations. Of _course_ you don’t believe in friendly dragons.” 

“Should I remind you what happened with that Vinsomer in the Storm Coast?” 

Athelas flushed. “I don’t really need to be reminded, thank you—” 

“In retrospect, it is very a good tale, the kind of embarrassing story Varric would pull out at a party—” 

“Well, I was there and you were there,” Athelas said quickly, laughing weakly, “so there’s really no point in re-telling it right now, right?” 

Cassandra opened her mouth to respond, but she never got the chance. At that exact moment, the dragon pounced. It flew through the air in a graceful arc, its crumpled, bat-like wings flapping desperately to keep it afloat, and sailed directly into Athelas’ lap. It landed with a high-pitched yelp in a tangle of legs and tail. It wriggled onto its back and stared up at Athelas, blinking its large eyes. 

If Athelas’ heart could melt, it would have. 

“I think he likes me,” she said. 

“Yes,” Cassandra replied. “I can see that.” 

The dragon squirmed, turning over and bumping its nose down the length of Athelas’ arm. It paused, raising its head, tail flicking, bending its head curiously as it investigated her leather gloves. 

“What should I call him?” Athelas said. 

Cassandra’s _“ugh”_ of disapproval was unmistakeable. “You shouldn’t call him anything. You should put him back where you found him.”

“Technically, _he_ found me—ouch!” 

The dragon had decided to try out its fangs on her gloves and was nibbling enthusiastically at her hand. Athelas couldn’t contain her smile, but inside she could feel the growing terror of how to explain the gloves’ fate to Josephine. They had barely managed to last a week. 

Athelas pulled the dragon back. “Hey now,” she said. “Don’t do that. Those are new.” 

The dragon glared at her, looking offended. 

“We should find you something else to chew. Like a bone or a stick or Cassandra’s boots.” 

“Inquisitor,” Cassandra said witheringly. _“Please.”_  

The dragon chirruped happily. Athelas picked him up, holding it close to her chest, and got to her feet. It squirmed so ferociously in her grasp that she almost dropped it. It wriggled out of her hands and clawed up her leather overcoat, its claws tearing the fabric until it came to rest on her shoulder. It perched there, tail swishing back and forth, and let out a triumphant cry. 

“I agree,” Athelas said. 

She dug into the pouch on her hip and pulled out a small slice of dried meat. She tore off a small piece and held it up to the dragon. The talons of its hind feet dug into her shoulder as it reached out with its front claws, grabbing the meat and tearing into it greedily. It gulped it down, snorting happily, swishing back and forth on her shoulder.   

Athelas grinned. “Want more?” 

Athelas marched through the grass, Cassandra in tow, heading back towards the Inquisition camp. She fed the dragon as they walked, marvelling at its beautiful, shiny scales, its graceful wings and its playfulness. Dragons had such an innate sense of personality and intelligence, it was no one ancient Tevinter had worshipped them as gods. She had always found dragons beautiful and, though full-grown dragons were terrifying and devastating, a secret part of her had always longed to befriend one. It was a foolish wish, a remnant of a childhood dream, seemingly so impossible that she was in complete awe of the creature she now carried on her shoulder. 

“Inquisitor,” Cassandra admonished, “you cannot seriously be thinking of _keeping_ it.” 

“Of course not,” Athelas said. She was sad to say it, but she would never admit it. “A dragon isn’t a pet.”    

“Then put it down. Leave it be.” Cassandra crossed her arms. “You wouldn’t pick up a baby bear, now would you?” 

Athelas tried not to think about the Hinterlands. “No,” she said. 

“Good,” Cassandra continued. “A dragon is like a bear, only a thousand times worse.” 

Athelas glanced at her content new friend on her shoulder. “He’s just so wonderful, though,” she said. “And look how happy he is!” 

The dragon was flapping its wings, tail wagging, chirruping every time Athelas passed it more meat. 

“I can’t imagine why,” Cassandra intoned. 

“Dragons are sacred to Mythal,” Athelas added, pointing to her vallaslin. “Perhaps this was meant to be—” 

A shrill screech rang through the air, so loud Athelas and Cassandra both slammed their hands over their ears. Cassandra backed away, drawing her sword and shield, eyes alight as she sought out the danger. Athelas looked up, craning her neck, one hand on the dragon’s back, keeping it steady as she searched the skies. 

The shriek returned, this time accompanied with the distinctive whoosh of flapping wings. Large wings. Athelas’ mouth opened as she saw the majestic high dragon soar through the sky, casting a shadow across the field as its wings blocked out the sun. The baby dragon on her shoulder raised its head and called out as its mother passed overhead. The high dragon swooped around and landed in the field, jaws open, fangs glistening, breathing smoke and flame. 

The baby dragon chirruped happily and took off from Athelas’ shoulder, spiralling through the air. She reached out for it, a desperate look on her face. “No!” she called. “Don’t go!” 

The dragon crashed on the ground. Dazed, it shook itself off, turned to give Athelas a final look, then dashed off through the grass towards its mother. The high dragon hissed at Athelas and Cassandra, tail lashing out angrily. Then it bent its great head and picked up the baby dragon in its jaw, taking flight once more. 

The high dragon soared into the sky, scales shimmering in the bright sunlight, and disappeared into the horizon. 

Athelas raised a hand in farewell. 

Cassandra lowered her shield and breathed a sigh of relief. “Athelas,” she said, “may I ask a favour? _Never_ try to hug a dragon again.”


End file.
